Raise a Glass to Cinco de Mayo, Coming Right Up

A party from years past at Don Ramon’s. Photo from Facebook.

Cinco de Mayo is coming up on Monday May 5th, and here are some places to get your fiesta on. ~DON RAMON’S~ is going to be celebrating all weekend long, on May 2nd-5th from 11:30am until they close. They’ll be offering buckets of beer for $20, specials on margaritas by the glass or pitcher, lots of appetizers, plus there will be a tequila bar and giveaways. The Ramirez family, who own Don Ramon’s, have been running Mexican restaurants in San Francisco since 1967—at their current location since 1982—so they know how to throw a good party. It’s definitely going to be a festive few days.

On Cinco de Mayo, Suerte Tequila is hosting a bar crawl in Dogpatch from 7pm-10pm. The evening will begin at Third Rail, followed by Poquito, Dogpatch Saloon, and Magnolia Brewery. The fifth location is still a secret, and will be revealed at the end of the crawl. Each location will be offering a different discounted cocktail (made with Suerte Tequila, of course), bar snacks, and tacos. While the crawl is free, food and beverages can be purchased and will vary by location ($5-$8). 3rd St. between 20th and 22nd Sts.

For a special cultural cocktail mash-up, check out the “Cinco de Derby” cocktail at ~TRICK DOG~. It’s named the Gutierrez Julep, after Mexican-born jockey Mario Gutierrez, who won the Derby in 2012 on a horse named I’ll Have Another (seriously, we can’t make this stuff up). His julep includes Tequila Ocho añejo, Pierde Almas mezcal, and muddled blackberries and oregano. It’s only available this weekend, Friday May 2nd-Sunday May 4th. 3010 20th St. at Alabama, 415-471-2999.

For a celebration that is about cultural history and not just tequila, head to the Cinco de Mayo Festival on Saturday May 3rd from 10am-6pm. The family-friendly (read: alcohol-free festival) takes over Valencia Street between 21st and 24th streets, and includes entertainment like Ballet Folklórico and live music including salsa and Latin jazz; here’s the schedule of entertainment. There will also be lots of food vendors, artists, and other festivities to check out. Valencia St. between 21st and 24th Sts.